Biolmpacts
Volume:10 Issue: 3, May 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic may exacerbate factors influencing abusive workplace behaviors in general such as psychological health, economic and social inequities. This is true in academic and research environments where we can expect to see an increase in the incidence of academic bullying. Research and experience shows that academic bullying will have significant and enduring negative effects on scientific integrity and academic health. In this perspective piece we will explore the potential facilitative influence of COVID-19 and specifically responses to it, on bullying behaviors in academic and research environments.

A key feature of the 'One Health' concept pertains to the design of novel point of care systems for largescale screening of health of the population residing in resource-limited areas of low- and middle-income countries with a view to obtaining data at a community level as a rationale to achieve better public health outcomes. The physical properties of blood are different for different samples. Our study involved the development of an innovative system architecture based upon the physical properties of blood using automated classifiers to enable large-scale screening of the health of the population living in resource-limited settings.

The proposed system consisted of a simple, robust and low-cost sensor with capabilities to sense and measure even the minute changes in the physical properties of blood samples. In this system, the viscosity of blood was derived from a power-law model coupled with the Rabinowitsch-Mooney correction for non-Newtonian shear rates developed in a steady laminar Poiseuille flow. Surface tension was measured by solving the Young-Laplace equation for pendant drop shape hanging on a vertical needle. An anticipated outcome of this study would be the development of a novel automated classifier based upon the rheological attributes of blood. This automated classifier would have potential application in evaluating the health status of a population at regional and global levels.

The proposed system was used to measure the physical properties of various samples like normal, tuberculous and anemic blood samples. The results showed that the physical properties of these samples were different as compared to normal blood samples. The major advantage of this system was low-cost, as well as its simplicity and portability.

In this work, we proposed making a case for the validation of a low-cost version of a microfluidic system capable of scanning large populations for a variety of diseases as per the WHO mandate of “One Health”.

Plasmodium falciparum strains had been increasingly resistant to commonly used molecules including artemisinin. It is therefore urges to find new therapeutic alternatives.

In this study, the antiplasmodial activity of 21 extracts obtained from seven plants of the Anthocleista djalonensis, Cochlospermum planchonii, Harungana madagascariensis, Hoslundia opposita, Mangifera indica, Margaritaria discoidea and Pericopsis laxiflora of the Ivorian pharmacopoeia was evaluated on the chloroquine sensitive (NF54) and multi-resistant (K1) reference strains and on clinical isolates as well. The technique used was the microtiter method based on fluorescence reading with SYBR Green.

The aqueous extract of the bark of H. madagascariensis and methanolic extracts of P. laxiflora showed the best antiplasmodial activity with IC50 values of 6.16 μg/mL and 7.44 μg/mL, respectively. On the other hand, extracts of M. indica showed a very moderate activity with IC50 values between 15 μg/mL and 50 μg/mL (5<IC50<50 μg/mL) on the same strains of P. falciparum. Only the aqueous extract of A. djalonensis had IC50 values greater than 50 μg/mL. The phytochemical analysis showed a strong presence of polyphenols and alkaloids in extracts with a cumulative rate of 90.47% and 95.23%, respectively.

The results obtained were also justified by the composition of these plants, which have several secondary metabolites involved in the treatment of malaria. The antiplasmodial properties of these plants could partially justify their use in malaria treatment. Further studies on these extracts are needed to manufacture a stable galenic formulation for the development of an improved traditional medicine.

Seeds of Securigera securidaca (L.) Degen & Dorfl are rich in flavonoids and phenolic acids which have potent biological effects. The current study was undertaken to evaluate the effects of hydroalcoholic extract of S. securidaca seeds (HESS) alone, and in combination with a standard drug, glibenclamide (GB) on paraoxonase1 (PON1) activity, lipid profile and peroxidation, and cardiovascular risk indices in streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetic rats.

Forty-eight male Wistar rats were randomly divided into eight equal groups and orally treated with various doses of HESS (100, 200, 400 mg/kg) alone and in combination with GB (5 mg/kg) for 35 consecutive days. After blood sampling, lipid profile including triglyceride (TG), cholesterol, high, low and very low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C, LDL-C, and VLDL-C), as well as serum PON1 activity, were assessed. Malondialdehyde (MDA), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels were also measured. Several indices of cardiovascular risk and the correlation between PON1 activity and these indices were calculated based on the obtained results from the lipid profile.

Induction of diabetes could dramatically alter all of the parameters mentioned above, and the lower dose of HESS (100 mg/kg) was not effective in restoring the parameters. However, the higher doses (200 and 400 mg/kg) alone and in combination with GB could significantly improve lipid profile, restore PON1 activity, and decrease cardiovascular risk indices, MDA, as well. However, neither HESS nor GB could significantly reduce TNF-α and hs-CRP. A significant negative correlation also was detected between PON1 activity and cardiovascular risk indices.

Conclusively, HESS can be considered as a potent antihyperlipidemic agent with remarkable cardioprotective effects and can potentiate the antidiabetic effects of GB.

Venous valves are a type of one-way valves which conduct blood flow toward the heart and prevent its backflow. Any malfunction of these organs may cause serious problems in the circulatory system. Numerical simulation can give us detailed information and point to point data such as velocity, wall shear stress, and von Mises stress from veins with small diameters, as obtaining such data is almost impossible using current medical devices. Having detailed information about fluid flow and valves' function can help the treatment of the related diseases.

In the present work, the blood flow through a venous valve considering the flexibility of the vein wall and valve leaflets is investigated numerically. The governing equations of fluid flow and solid domain are discretized and solved by the Galerkin finite element method.

The obtained results showed that the blood velocity increases from inlet to the leaflets and then decreases passing behind the valve. A pair of vortices and the trapped region was observed just behind the valves. These regions have low shear stresses and are capable of sediment formation.

The von Mises stress which is a criterion for the breakdown of solid materials was obtained. It was also observed that a maximum value occurred at the bottom of the leaflets.

Chronic liver disease frequently accompanied by hepatic encephalopathy (HE). Changes in the permeability of the blood-brain barrier in HE, make an easier entrance of ammonia among other substances to the brain, which leads to neurotransmitter disturbances. Lactulose (LAC), causes better defecation and makes ammonia outreach of blood. Silymarin (SM) is a known standard drug for liver illnesses. The purpose of this research was to determine the results of LAC and SM combined treatment, on the changes in memory of cirrhotic male rats.

The cirrhotic model established by treatment with thioacetamide (TAA) for 18 weeks. Cirrhotic rats randomized to four groups (n = 7): TAA group (received drinking water), LAC group (2 g/kg/d LAC in drinking water), SM group (50 mg/kg/d SM by food), SM+ LAC group (similar combined doses of both compounds) for 8 weeks. The control group received drinking water. The behavior examined by wire hanging (WH), passive avoidance (PA), and open field (OF) tests.

Our findings showed that treatment with SM+LAC effectively increased PA latency, compared with the control group. The results showed that the administration of LAC and SM+LAC affected the number of lines crossed, the total distance moved and velocity in the OF tests.

SM and LAC have anti-inflammatory effects that are memory changing. It may be due to their useful effects. These results indicated that SM+LAC restored memory disturbance and irritated mood in the cirrhotic rats. Comparable neuroprotection was never previously informed. Such outcomes are extremely promising and indicate the further study of SM+LAC.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the main health burden worldwide, which can cause major economic and physiological problems along with relatively high rate of mortality. It is important to develop new methods for the localized delivery of recombinant protein therapeutics, in large part due to the failure of conventional therapies in most cases. Since E. coli Nissle 1917 (EcN) does not produce any virulence factors, here we used these bacteria with the light-activated promoter system to deliver therapeutic agents in the desired location and time.

In this study, Staphylococcus aureus alpha hemolysin (SAH), after codon usage optimization, was cloned into blue light activating vector (pDawn) and transferred to EcN strain. Then, the functionality and cytotoxicity of secreted alpha hemolysin was evaluated in the SW480 colon cancer cell line by using different experiments, including blood agar test, flow cytometry analysis, and DAPI staining.

Our findings revealed that EcN can produce functional SAH under the blue light irradiation against SW480 cancer cells. Moreover, cytotoxicity assays confirmed the dose- and time-dependent toxicity of this payload (SAH) against SW480 cancer cells.

Based on our results, EcN is proposed as an appropriate light-activated vehicle for delivery of anticancer agents to the target cancer cells/tissues.

The vast diverse products and applications of engineered nanoparticle bio-conjugates (ENPBCs) are increasing, and thus flooding the-markets. However, the data to support risk estimates of ENPBC are limited. While it is important to assess the potential benefits, acceptability and uptake, it is equally important to understand where ENPBCs safety is and how to expand and affirm consumer security concerns.

Online articles were extracted from 2013 to 2016 that pragmatically used xCELLigence real-time cell analysis (RTCA) technology to describe the in-vitro toxicity of ENPBCs. The xCELLigence is a +noninvasive in vitro toxicity monitoring process that mimics exact continuous cellular bio-responses in real-time settings. On the other hand, articles were also extracted from 2008 to 2016 describing the in vivo animal models toxicity of ENPBCs with regards to safety outcomes.

Out of 32 of the 121 (26.4%) articles identified from the literature, 23 (71.9%) met the in-vitro xCELLigence and 9(28.1%) complied with the in vivo animal model toxicity inclusion criteria. Of the 23 articles, 4 of them (17.4%) had no size estimation of ENPBCs. The xCELLigence technology provided information on cell interactions, viability, and proliferation process. Eighty-three (19/23) of the in vitro xCELLigence technology studies described ENPBCs as nontoxic or partially nontoxic materials. The in vivo animal model provided further toxicity information where 1(1/9) of the in vivoanimal model studies indicated potential animal toxicity while the remaining results recommended ENPPCs as potential candidates for drug therapy though with limited information on toxicity.

The results showed that the bioimpacts of ENPBCs either at the in vitro or at in vivo animal modellevels are still limited due to insufficient information and data. To keep pace with ENPBCs biomedical products and applications, in vitro, in vivo assays, clinical trials and long-term impacts are needed to validate their usability and uptake. Besides, more real-time ENPBCs-cell impact analyses using xCELLigence are needed to provide significant data and information for further in vivotesting.

OVID-19, as a newly emerging disease, has disrupted human’s different activities. Hence, it is essential to develop drugs or vaccines in order to control COVID-19. Since there is not a medication or vaccine for treating the disease and drug development project is a time and cost consuming process, drug repurposing approaches may yield to proper curing plans. However, there are some limitations in this field, which make the process a challenging one. This letter aims to introduce drug repurposing methods and the existing challenges to detect candidate drugs which may be helpful in controlling COVID-19.